Quotes from Stephen R. Covey

Although people use both sides of the brain, one side or the other generally tends to be dominant in each individual. Of course, the ideal would be to cultivate and develop the ability to have good crossover between both sides of the brain so that a person could first sense what the situation called for and then use the appropriate tool to deal with it.

Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least. GOETHE

Work on things you have control over. Work on you.

Though they may have to prioritize the use of their influence, proactive people have a Circle of Concern that is at least as big as their Circle of Influence, accepting the responsibility to use their influence effectively.

effective people are not problem-minded; they're opportunity-minded. They feed opportunities and starve problems. They think preventively. They

Look at the weaknesses of others with compassion, not accusation.

As I told the manager of the first hotel I visited, I know a lot of companies with impressive mission statements. But there is a real difference, all the difference in the world, in the effectiveness of a mission statement created by everyone involved in the organization and one written by a few top executives behind a mahogany wall.

There is no effectiveness without discipline and there is no discipline without character. And there is no character without first starting and asking questions.

In the long run, if it isn't a win for both of us, we both lose.

Mission statements are also vital to successful organizations.

smack of dependence, and therefore, we find people, often for selfish reasons, leaving their marriages, abandoning their children, and forsaking all kinds of social responsibility—all in the name of independence.

The little-understood concept of interdependence appears to many to smack of dependence, and therefore, we find people, often for selfish reasons, leaving their marriages, abandoning their children, and forsaking all kinds of social responsibility—all in the name of independence. The

by his limited perception—a reality that is as critical for us to understand in our daily lives as it was for the captain in the fog.

mental and emotional illnesses are really symptoms of an underlying sense of meaninglessness or emptiness. Logotherapy eliminates that emptiness by helping the individual to detect his unique meaning, his mission in life. Once you have that sense of mission, you have the essence of your own proactivity.

puts the situation in a totally different light. We can see a reality that is superseded by his limited perception—a reality that is as critical for us to understand in our daily lives as it was for the captain in the fog. Principles are like lighthouses. They are natural laws that cannot be broken. As Cecil B. DeMille observed of the principles contained in his monumental movie, The Ten Commandments, "It is impossible

Suppose you have a teenage son and your normal conversation is something like, "Clean your room. Button your shirt. Turn down the radio. Go get a haircut. And don't forget to take out the garbage!" Over a period of time, the withdrawals far exceed the deposits.

When a boss becomes the first assistant to each of his subordinates, he can greatly increase his span of control.

Is it logical that two people can disagree and that both can be right? It's not logical: it's psychological.

love is a verb. Love—the feeling—is a fruit of love, the verb.

Independent people who do not have the maturity to think and act interdependently may be good individual producers, but they won't be good leaders or team players.

concerning what I believe to be the source of correct principles. I believe that correct principles are natural laws, and that God, the Creator and Father of us all, is the source of them, and also the source of our conscience. I believe that to the degree people live by this inspired conscience, they will grow to fulfill their natures; to the degree that they do not, they will not rise above the animal plane.

List the three or four things you would consider "first things" in your life. Consider any long range goals you might have set. Think about the most important relationships in your life. Think about any contributions you'd like to make. Reaffirm the feelings you want to have in your life—peace, confidence, happiness, contribution, meaning. Think about how you might spend this week if you knew you only had six months to live.

The paradigm shift experienced by the captain—and by us as we read this account—puts the situation in a totally different light. We can see a reality that is superseded by his limited perception—a reality that is as

Writing is another powerful way to sharpen the mental saw. Keeping a journal of our thoughts, experiences, insights, and learnings promotes mental clarity, exactness, and context.